Hitman 2

The Intel Core i5-14600KF paired with the Intel Arc B580 presents a specific performance profile in Hitman 2, a 2018 stealth title. The data shows a system that is highly capable at 1080p, acceptable at 1440p with settings adjustments, and not viable for smooth 4K gameplay. This analysis breaks down the measured frame rates, component roles, and overall ranking to determine exactly where this combination stands.

Best Settings per Resolution

At 1920x1080, the combination delivers playable performance across all four tested presets. The most demanding preset that stays at or above 60 FPS is High, which produces an average of 81.7 FPS. This leaves substantial headroom above the 60 FPS threshold, allowing for a visually rich experience without sacrificing smoothness. The Ultra preset falls slightly below the target at 58.5 FPS average, making High the optimal choice for a stable frame rate.

For 2560x1440, the situation tightens. The Medium preset is the most demanding option that maintains an average of 67.3 FPS, clearing the 60 FPS bar. The High preset drops to 48.8 FPS average, which fails the playability threshold. Low settings at this resolution yield 91.4 FPS average, but Medium offers a better balance of visual fidelity and performance for users who want more than the bare minimum.

At 3840x2160, no preset achieves the 60 FPS target. The highest average FPS comes from the Low preset at 49.1 FPS, but this still falls short of playable. The Medium preset reaches 37.6 FPS, High drops to 25.2 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 22.3 FPS. The data indicates that 4K is not a viable option for this combo in this game, as even the lowest settings cannot maintain a consistent 60 FPS.

CPU and GPU Roles

The performance scaling across resolutions reveals a clear GPU-bound scenario at higher settings. At 1080p, the jump from Low (140.7 FPS) to Medium (104.9 FPS) represents a 25% drop, while moving from Medium to High (81.7 FPS) shows another 22% decline. This steep scaling with increased graphical load points to the Intel Arc B580 being the primary limiter, as the CPU has ample headroom to feed the GPU at lower resolutions.

The 1440p results reinforce this pattern. Low settings at 1440p (91.4 FPS) are only 35% slower than 1080p Low, while Medium at 1440p (67.3 FPS) is 36% slower than 1080p Medium. This consistent proportional drop indicates that resolution scaling is the dominant factor, typical of a GPU-limited scenario. The Intel Core i5-14600KF, with its 14 cores and 20 threads, appears more than sufficient for this workload.

At 4K, the GPU limitation becomes severe. The 4K Low result (49.1 FPS) is nearly half the 1080p Low figure, and 4K Ultra (22.3 FPS) is less than one-sixth of 1080p Ultra (58.5 FPS). The pattern shows that the Arc B580's memory bandwidth and processing power are simply insufficient for the pixel throughput required at 3840x2160. The CPU's role diminishes further as resolution increases, since the GPU becomes the bottleneck for every frame.

How This Combo Ranks

In the benchmark database, this specific CPU-GPU combination ranks 2762 out of 3711 tested combos for Hitman 2. This places it in the lower third of all configurations, which aligns with the measured frame rates showing only 1080p and select 1440p presets as playable. The rank reflects that while the CPU is strong (90th percentile among all CPUs), the GPU's 68th percentile standing drags the overall combined performance down for this particular title.

The rank suggests that many other combinations, likely featuring more powerful GPUs or better-balanced pairings, achieve higher frame rates in this game. However, the absolute numbers show that the combo is not struggling at lower resolutions. The discrepancy between the rank and the playable 1080p results indicates that the database includes many higher-end configurations that push frame rates much higher, making this pairing's mid-range performance stand out as less competitive in a crowded field.

FAQ

*Q: Can this PC run Hitman 2 at 1080p with high settings?*

A: Yes. The measured average frame rate at 1920x1080 with High settings is 81.7 FPS, which comfortably exceeds the 60 FPS playable threshold.

Q: What is the best playable preset at 1440p?

A: The Medium preset at 2560x1440 achieves 67.3 FPS average, making it the most demanding option that still clears the 60 FPS target. The High preset at this resolution falls to 48.8 FPS.

Q: Is 4K gaming possible with this setup?

A: No. At 3840x2160, even the Low preset only reaches 49.1 FPS average, which is below the 60 FPS playable threshold. Ultra settings at 4K produce just 22.3 FPS.

Q: How does the CPU compare to similar processors?

A: The Intel Core i5-14600KF has an average benchmark score of 49394, placing it within 1% of the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 (49228, 0.3% delta) and the AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G (49196, 0.4% delta). It sits in the 90th percentile of all CPUs.

Q: What GPU performance is closest to the Arc B580?

A: The Intel Arc B580's average benchmark score of 23021 is nearly identical to the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP (23061, -0.2% delta) and slightly above the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 (22895, 0.6% delta). It ranks in the 68th percentile of all GPUs.

Q: Does the Ultra preset ever hit 60 FPS?

A: Only at 1920x1080, where Ultra produces 58.5 FPS average — just shy of the 60 FPS threshold. At 2560x1440, Ultra drops to 37.4 FPS, and at 3840x2160 it falls to 22.3 FPS.

Measured FPS Breakdown

At 1920x1080, the full range of settings delivers playable or near-playable results. Low settings produce 140.7 FPS average, Medium reaches 104.9 FPS, High comes in at 81.7 FPS, and Ultra trails at 58.5 FPS. The gap between Low and Ultra is 82.2 FPS, showing the significant impact of graphical fidelity on this resolution.

For 2560x1440, the numbers scale down proportionally. Low yields 91.4 FPS, Medium holds 67.3 FPS, High drops to 48.8 FPS, and Ultra falls to 37.4 FPS. Only Low and Medium clear the 60 FPS threshold, with Medium being the highest playable setting.

At 3840x2160, all presets fail the playability test. Low manages 49.1 FPS, Medium drops to 37.6 FPS, High reaches 25.2 FPS, and Ultra bottoms out at 22.3 FPS. The difference between Low and Ultra at 4K is 26.8 FPS, a narrower spread than at lower resolutions, indicating that the GPU's limits compress the achievable frame rates regardless of settings.

The Verdict

The data clearly shows that this PC can run Hitman 2 at 1080p across all presets, with High being the recommended choice at 81.7 FPS average. At 1440p, the system remains playable but requires dropping to Medium settings (67.3 FPS average) to maintain 60 FPS. The High preset at 1440p (48.8 FPS) and the Ultra preset at 1080p (58.5 FPS) both fall short of the threshold, making them borderline cases.

For 4K, the verdict is definitive: no preset is playable. The best result, Low at 49.1 FPS, still misses the 60 FPS target by a significant margin. Users targeting 4K would need a substantially more powerful GPU. The verdict by resolution confirms this: 1080p has three playable settings (High, Low, Medium), 1440p has two (Low, Medium), and 4K has none. This system is best suited for 1080p gaming with high visual quality, or 1440p with medium settings.

Similar Performance Alternatives

Looking at the nearest rivals for the CPU, the AMD Ryzen 9 7900 has an average score of 49228, which is 0.3% lower than the i5-14600KF's 49394. The AMD Ryzen 7 PRO 5755G scores 49196, a 0.4% delta, while the Intel Core Ultra 5 245 reaches 48995, 0.8% behind. The AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 388 is the only rival that edges ahead, with a score of 49796, representing a -0.8% delta (meaning the i5 is 0.8% slower). These CPUs would likely produce nearly identical frame rates in Hitman 2 given the same GPU, since the differences are under 1%.

For the GPU, the AMD Radeon RX 580 2048SP has an average score of 23061, just 0.2% above the Arc B580's 23021. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 scores 22895, 0.6% lower, and the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 reaches 23172, 0.7% higher. The NVIDIA P106-100 tops the group at 23249, 1% above the Arc. These sub-1% deltas mean that swapping the Arc B580 for any of these GPUs would result in nearly identical performance in this game, making them viable alternatives for users seeking comparable frame rates. The RTX 3080's slightly higher score suggests it might offer a marginal FPS improvement, but the data does not support a meaningful difference in playability.